Can You Use Lysol on Wood?

June 25, 2021

Using Lysol cleaner on wood furniture.

Wood furniture is a staple in most homes. It’s an effort to get furniture that isn’t made out of wood! You can find them in your kitchen as cabinets or tables or in the living room as your chair and decoration. 

But like all furniture, we can’t escape germs. They develop on all surfaces, including wood! While we can wipe down other surfaces instantly with bleach and other cleaning agents, we may hesitate to face wood furniture. We turn to our cleaning products, then wonder: is it safe to use Lysol?

Cleaning and disinfecting furniture are essential! A cleaning and disinfecting routine is a must. While most of us can probably make a wood-safe, homemade cleaner, we also need to know if a quick Lysol spray here and there can be helpful. 

So, don’t fret – you’ve got all the answers you need regarding Lysol and wood here in this article! We’ve written everything – from using Lysol to all the alternatives you can get. 

What Are Lysol Products?

Lysol is a famous brand known for its cleaning products. They have everything from disinfectant sprays to laundry sanitizers! If you want to wipe up your floors, countertops, walls, and other surfaces, Lysol is the brand to use. 

Most homes already have a bottle or two of Lysol lying around. You don’t have to do much – you can spray it in full strength, no dilution or mixing needed, and get to cleaning. 

Can You Use Lysol on Wood Furniture? 

Yes… and no. Usually, you can’t. The instances where you can only apply if your wood furniture can resist water. 

There’s no denying that Lysol is effective. But applying it to natural wood can have some consequences. Instead of cleaning off germs from wood, it soaks in and damages the fibers. 

There are instances where Lysol is safe to use for your wooden surfaces. Suppose you purchased the furniture with a water-resistant or oil-based finish. In that case, it could probably resist Lysol sinking into the wood. A semi-gloss or glossy finish can work well, too! 

In those cases, damp cloth, Lysol, and water work fine. Just make sure not to use a dripping wet cloth to wipe it down. Submerging wood in too much water will damage it!

Can You Use Lysol on the Hardwood Floor?

Your floor is probably the dirtiest thing in your home every day. We walk in and out of our house only to track mud and dirt from the outside environment. While you can have some dedicated house slippers, there’s still dust, dead skin, and dirt coming from the inside of the home and settling onto the floors. 

Lysol is usually the ideal pick for such cases. If it can kill 99.99% of bacteria, you can guarantee that your floors are clean and safe! Just leave it on the floor and mop it up. 

It’s understandable to have some concerns if you’ve got hardwood floors. Instead of leaving it to soak on the floor, get a sprayer. Put the Lysol product in it, mist it on your floor, and let it sit for a few minutes. Don’t go and get distracted! Wipe it up right after. You’ll have a cleaner floor in no time – with no damage inflicted, too. 

Can You Use Lysol on Antique Wood Furniture? 

Antique wood is much trickier to clean, and Lysol isn’t the best pick. Oil and shellacked finishes won’t benefit from that much Lysol, either. If you try this, you can expect your antique wooden surfaces to become white and cloudy! The finishes dissolve and damage the wood. 


Are There Any Alternatives to Lysol?

Okay, Lysol can cause damage you may or may not be able to fix. Indeed, there’s a way to disinfect wooden furniture without that much stress! 

Well, that’s true. And you’re in luck. We have some alternatives below!

1) Use a Homemade Cleaner to Disinfect Your Wood Furniture 

You can use home products for this one. You can get a spray bottle and fill it with 2 cups of water. Add five drops of dishwater, one cup of white vinegar, and shake it all together. Spray it onto the surface. To clean it off and wipe it dry, you can use a damp rag for the wood surface. 

 

2) Use Peroxide For Your Hardwood Floors

Lysol won’t damage your hardwood floors that much if used correctly, but you can always opt for a safer alternative. Use three-percent hydrogen peroxide to spray onto your wood floors. Mop the surface right after, and you’re all done! 

3) Use Steam-Cleaning 

A steam cleaner is an ideal pick for hardwood surfaces! Steam has the high temperature needed to kill off bacteria and germs. It doesn’t need any homemade or commercial cleaner – just a concentration of water. 

While this is effective, it’s best to have sealed wooden floors before trying them out. It’ll dry fast in no time!


To Sum It Up

Keep Lysol for your countertops and bathrooms. Wooden surfaces can stand fast against Lysol damage, but it’s not a good idea to keep risking it cleaning day after cleaning day! Use a homemade cleaner, hydrogen peroxide, and steam instead. 

When in doubt, especially with antique wooden furniture, ask an expert! They can know what’s best for your wooden surfaces and furniture. 

Let us know if this article helped! Keep your furniture – and yourself – clean and safe. 


How Can You Repair and Restore Lysol-Damaged Wood Surfaces?

When Lysol gets trapped in the wood, the water vapors cloud and damage it from the inside out. One fix is taking a cloth and dampening it with alcohol. Dab it on the area and wipe gently, moving from one spot to another. After, you can dry the damaged area with a hairdryer or something similar. 

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